Americans’ Healthy Suspicion of Political Dynasties

Leftists often want America to become more politically similar to Western Europe. When it comes to providing everyone access to health care, I’m in. But I hope Americans never give up a political sensibility that separates us from all those European countries where kings and queens still walk the earth and unelected hereditary politicos shape legislation: Our fundamental discomfort with ruling families.

they are underwhelmed by the prospect of a race pitting another Bush against another Clinton. When Charlie Loan, an IT program manager and Republican-leaning independent, said half-seriously that he would be happy if Congress would pass a law banning anyone named Bush or Clinton from running, half the people in the room agreed.

…To them, Bush and Clinton represent a political class that is seen as living lives apart from those they represent, people who are seen as out for themselves rather than for ordinary people.

None of this of course means that Governor Bush or Secretary Clinton is a bad person or couldn’t be a good president. It’s not about them as individuals. Rather, the focus group members are expressing a very healthy, very American suspicion of a having a small group of families continually run the country.

One of the remarkable features of American politics is how few dynasties have existed at the national level. The Adams family in the late 1700s and 1800s, the Roosevelts for the first half of the twentieth century, the Kennedys over the past half century. It is often — though definitely not always — an advantage in American politics to have had a famous political parent, but the halo’s glow rarely extends to the third generation (Especially in the western U.S., which is less shaped by European culture than are the former British colonies). And when political dynasties fade in power, Americans rarely grieve their passing even when they like the family in question.

Missouri is the “Show Me” state, and it resides in a “Show Me” country. Neither Bush nor Clinton is going to become President of the United States by riding on their last name. That’s a good thing for democracy and a great thing about America.